Spirit
only option is to endure it until subsides. Joseph probably could
have understood had his betrayal been at the hand of strangers
but, at the hand of his very own brothers, the betrayal must have
been very difficult to endure. This pain had to leave Joseph
speechless. Pondering it over and over again, “Why would my
brothers do this to me”? (You know, the way we all obsess over
emotional situations that leave us shocked and wounded.) But,
the real question becomes, how would Joseph respond to this
pain? How would he process all the unanswered questions in his
heart? Joseph could spend the rest of his life being bitter and
hating his brothers or Joseph could look to the “all seeing” God
of his fathers Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob for strength, courage and direction.
As we continue to read the
account in the bible, we find
that this devastating betrayal
actually launched Joseph into
his destiny. By Joseph trusting in God, his pain positioned
him to discover his hidden
talent of leadership. Isn’t that amazing? Pain can actually launch
us into our destiny. Had the brothers not betrayed him, he would
not have been in place to give provision to his family when the
famine came. The promise of Romans 8:28 now comes to life
“All things work together for the good of them that are called. Joseph
prospered beyond the pain simply because he made the choice to
trust God. Joseph became the Governor of Egypt and the conduit for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham and bless Jacob.
Joseph experienced pain; but, that pain positioned Joseph to fulfill his purpose.
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city
in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with
you."…she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what
kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid,
Mary; for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive
in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.…”
Luke 1:28-31
What…pregnant? She must have thought to herself “But,
I’m engaged to be married soon, I can’t be pregnant before the
wedding?” In Mary’s day, this was
quite the disgrace. Talk about emotional pain. Mary had to endure both
community embarrassment and family disgrace. What would her parents
think? How will she show her face
in the market place? And, most of
all, how would she tell her fiancé’?
I’m sure it crossed Mary’s mind to
ask that tormenting question that we have all asked God at one
point or another, “God, why me?”
It seems that God often shakes our world to usher us into
our next season of life. Not that God seeks to hurt us; but,
most transitions are painful. I liken this to a parent that allows
the toddler to fall as he or she learns to walk. It is not a cruel
act but an act of love. The child must learn to walk and if falling is a part of the process, so be it. The parent must focus on
the long term good. Likewise, God is most concerned with
preparing us long term to ensure that we get to that place
where He has ordained for us to be. And pain is a necessary
element of most transitions. God gave his only Son so that we
could experience a “protected” relationship with Him. Jesus
endured the “pain” of the cross to give us a glorious life in
Christ.
Look at the grace of God in Mary’s situation. God deals with
Joseph and causes him to not judge Mary’s pregnancy harshly.
Mary’s emotional pain became life for all of us. Mary’s painful
experience became The Gift of the world. Mary’s pain
launched all of us into our spiritual destiny.
Could it be that sometimes pain
is the sound of an alarm that
could develop us? That our
pain is an alarm that just might
save our life?
Next time you experience a heart break, think about the
soundtrack in the “Color Purple.” Maybe God is trying to tell
you something!
Let’s examine another biblical account and then back to my
testimony…
Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. She had maintained
her purity throughout her years. And, now the day she had
dreamed of for so long was about to come to pass. Until, of
course, she has a life changing visit from an Angel of Lord that
turned her world upside down.
Pain is sometimes the only way to the next season.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
Fall/Winter 2015 The Well Magazine
9